Price movement over the last 24 hours
AES Corp vs American Water Works Company Inc — how do they compare? AES Corp trades at $14.65 (market cap $10.43B), while American Water Works Company Inc trades at $133.49 (market cap $26.33B). The key difference: American Water Works Company Inc is far larger — about 2.5× AES Corp's market cap, and AES Corp pays the higher dividend (4.81%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AES | AWK | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $10.43B | $26.33B |
Sector | Utilities | Utilities |
52-Week High | $17.28 | $147.00 |
52-Week Low | $11.07 | $121.13 |
Enterprise Value | $39.77B | $41.89B |
Dividend Yield | 4.81% | 2.66% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
AES trades at $14.62, up 0.27% on the day, with strong fundamentals including a P/E of 7.59 and net income margin of 10.82%. Recent quarters show consistent earnings beats, while technical indicators signal bearish momentum. The company's pending $33.4 billion acquisition by a BlackRock/EQT consortium, approved by stockholders on June 26, 2026, caps near-term upside at $15 per share but provides a stable exit pathway.
The investment case hinges on the acquisition closing, offering a 2.6% gain to the $15 buyout price plus dividend yield. Risks include deal completion uncertainty and shareholder litigation. With no sell-side analysts recommending sell, the stock presents a low-risk arbitrage opportunity with defined upside and limited downside if the transaction proceeds as planned.
AWK trades at $134.82, down 1.49% today, near the consensus price target of $134.50. The stock shows a bullish technical trend with strong moving averages, while recent earnings have been mixed with two misses in the last three quarters. Revenue grew to $5.14B in 2025, with a net income margin of 21.17%, and the company continues strategic acquisitions and infrastructure investments, as seen in recent news (PRNewsWire, June 30, 2026).
Outlook remains stable with analyst consensus leaning buy (46.66% buy ratings), but risks include high debt levels and regulatory pressures. The stock offers steady growth potential through capital investments, though margin pressures and interest expenses could limit upside. Investors should weigh the defensive utility sector appeal against valuation multiples like a P/E of 23.6.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
AES is a global power company operating across 14 countries and 4 continents. Its current generation portfolio as of year-end 2021 consists of over 31 gigawatts of generation, with the generation mix composed of renewables (43%), gas (32%), coal (23%), and oil (2%). The company has 3.5 gigawatts of generation under construction. AES has majority ownership and operates six electric utilities distributing power to 2.6 million customers.
Read more on AES →American Water Works is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility, serving approximately 3.5 million customers in 16 states. It provides water and wastewater services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers and operates predominantly in regulated markets. The company's only nonregulated business is water services for military bases, which operates under long-term contracts.
Read more on AWK →